Travel firm plans theme holidays, conventions

Travel and tourism services company International Travel House Limited (ITH), part of the ITC Group, has plans to offer theme tours for the Indian outbound traveller and is in talks with many niche organisations in the world for possible tie-ups.

ITH Managing Director Anil Bhandari said that the company will begin this exercise in the next couple of months and the first such overseas offer will be a golf-driven tour of the Far East.

"Countries in that region have excellent golf courses and we intend banking on the increasing popularity of the game among India's rich and famous as well as the corporate world."

The company has already received bookings from around 45 enthusiasts for the Malaysia tour, Bhandari informed.

Other theme tours include river cruises in China and other countries, where river tourism is available, Bhandari said, adding that the company is also talking to Ferrari group to offer its clients rides on Ferrari's racing tracks.

On the inward-bound tourists, Bhandari said the company is getting in a tourist group of 35 people from Canada, who will go on a cuisine tour of India. "We find that there is significant scope for such theme travel, he said.

In Pune to inaugurate the company's new, expanded office that will house a staff of 85 people in place of 10 in the initial period, Bhandari said Pune is a major centre for the company, as it contributes about 15 per cent of its business.

Bhandari explained that the company has planned a Rs 16 crore investment in new offices, technology and training for the staff across levels. "Training academies will be started in Pune, Delhi and Chennai to train people at all levels in the entire spectrum of activities to ensure multi-skilling of the staff," Bhandari said. The training will extend over 6 months to 2 years depending upon the level of personnel undergoing it, he added.

Bhandari said that the company is ready with an interactive bookings and reservation channel on its internet site and will very soon offer online bookings and payments. He informed that the company will sign an agreement with Citibank for the payment gateway for online reservations.

Among the major plans of ITH is the expansion of its conventions division, which will pitch for major national and international conventions in India. The company has so far done a couple of such projects and the most prestigious one to come is the Bangalore Air Show scheduled for February next year, he said.

The Rs 430 crore ITH is part of the diversified ITC group. Bhandari said the company earns just over 11 per cent of its revenues from the ITC group.

He informed that ITH's tie-ups with major companies, such as Infosys, to place its representatives on the campuses of these companies have propelled revenues significantly.

"We have about 200 such 'implants' at client company sites who take care of the entire travel needs of their staff. About 45 per cent of our travel business comes through this channel," he said.